Hunting Snipes +four, David Martin Anderson's Latest Anthology Collection, Now Available
ConRoca Publishing Announces the January 2021 Release of David Martin Anderson's Latest Novel, HUNTING SNIPES +four!
Of special literary quality is Anderson’s "Runner Speaks," an action-packed novella (12,000 words) set at Fort Lancaster, Texas in 1867. While loosely based on the only hostile attack on a Texas fort, the plot, itself, is historically accurate. The protagonist is an eleven-year-old German immigrant, the lone survivor of the Nueces River massacre of 1862 (a slaughter initiated by ruthless Confederate soldiers). Seeking help, the boy wanders to the Union-controlled Fort Lancaster one hundred miles away only to find the fort abandoned; the remote fort sits on the banks of the Pecos River in a desolate corner of Texas. For five years, the boy lives off the land along the river, alone; running becomes his catharsis to ease traumatic memories of murders he witnessed along the Nueces. Coincidentally, the boy has lost his ability to speak because of mental anguish suffered during that killing spree. In the summer of 1867, U.S. Cavalry ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ reoccupy the fort but the boy refuses to intermingle with any adult wearing a uniform. Now, at age sixteen, a ‘hostile’ raid besets his tranquil Pecos valley. Kickapoo warriors have successfully stolen the fort’s horses but their Comanchero brothers want to continue fighting until female hostages are taken. This means a massacre will undoubtedly take place because Lancaster soldiers refuse to surrender. Badly outnumbered 800 to 40 and with no horses available for a messenger to ride to Fort Stockton to summon reinforcements, the boy is sequestered into carrying a letter on foot the eighty-mile distance. If he reaches Fort Stockton in less than two days, the survivors at Fort Lancaster stand a chance to survive; if he fails, death will surely follow. The Comancheros discover the boy’s flight and pursue him in a twisted hunters’ game of ‘cat-and-mouse.’ En route, the boy’s letter is lost. Thus, if the boy somehow survives his mission to Fort Stockton, he must find the strength to overcome past ghosts and verbally communicate the situation to the fort commander. The current-tense writing style of this story propels a reader into the midst of the plot with every twist and turn felt along the way. It is a remarkable piece of prose!
Other stories in the collection are more contemporary but just as creative. All are available at Amazon and distributed through Ingram!
ISBN 978-1-892617-34-7 (Paperback); ISBN 978-1-892617-35-4 (Digital/eBook)
Kevin Abreau
ConRocaPublishing
+1 6059544620
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
